


Beneath the Surface

by avalotsnow



Series: Elsamaren summer 2020 [8]
Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: Bless this happiness we've found, Elsamaren Summer 2020 (Disney), F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:40:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25389913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avalotsnow/pseuds/avalotsnow
Summary: Being single at your younger sister's engagement party is apparently something to be pitied, but Elsa is perfectly happy being there without a partner until she spots the most beautiful woman in the world.
Relationships: Elsa/Honeymaren (Disney)
Series: Elsamaren summer 2020 [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1835251
Comments: 6
Kudos: 65
Collections: Elsamaren Summer 2020





	Beneath the Surface

‘Thank you all for coming and joining us in blessing this happiness we’ve found,’ Anna says. ‘Most of you know exactly how happy I was when Kristoff proposed to me because of how many selfies I took with the ring. So please eat, drink and be merry as we celebrate our engagement!’

It was great to see my sister so happy, it really was. Ever since we were kids she had been dreaming of the day she would meet her prince and get married. I never really shared in that particular dream myself though. For a long time I was convinced I was above such silly things as love and attraction and I would devote my life to perfecting the art of architecture instead, but then I kissed my first girl at sixteen and I had to admit I might not quite as impervious to those silly things after all.

I still became an architect, but also spend quite a bit of time kissing beautiful women. I don’t have anyone to kiss now though which apparently is something that invites a lot of pitiful stares if you’re at your younger sister’s engagement party. Just because Anna decided to settle down when she’s barely in her twenties, doesn’t mean that I am someone to pity just because I’m more discerning than she is.

Not that Kristoff isn’t a great guy. He absolutely is and looking at him and Anna tearing up the dancefloor right now proves they are very well-suited to each other. And they have a lot of … oh my word…

Then I see her, possibly the most beautiful woman in the world. She is leaning against the makeshift bar on the other side of the dancefloor. She’s wearing a suit that looks absolutely tailor made for her. The trousers narrowing until just about the ankle and a bow tie left untied around her neck. There are plenty of people here who could tie that bow tie so she definitely left it untied on purpose, knowing it would make her look sexy as hell and it does. 

Her hair is long and dark and flowing unto her shoulders. Her beautiful skin offset by the crisp white shirt and all I can think about is pulling her towards me with that bow tie and snogging her senseless. 

I know it’s tacky to hook up at weddings, but engagement parties are okay, aren’t they?

She is deep in conversation with some guy I don’t recognise so I can shamelessly stare at her without her noticing. In my mind, I’m already thinking of the order in which I’ll take off her clothes and what I’ll do once she is naked in my arms. But I probably should have kept a closer eye on my surroundings though because suddenly I’m flanked by my mother on my left and Anna on my right.

‘That’s Maren,’ Anna says.

I can pretend to feign ignorance, or I can imagine screaming that name as she … wait my mother is right next to me.

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

‘Oh darling, you’re not fooling anyone,’ my mother says. ‘You’re practically drooling.’

My mother daps my face with a napkin for what I hope is comedic effect.

‘She’s Ryder’s older sister,’ Anna continues. ‘You know, Kristoff’s best friend. She’s usually travelling the world helping people, but she’s apparently going to be back in Arendelle for a while and single.’

Well that all sounds very promising, but my sister’s obvious enthusiasm has diminished mine a little. Until I look up and see her looking my way. Of course her eyes are dark and soulful – why wouldn’t they be? And then I notice Kristoff and Ryder are talking to her and pointing my way. Oh, Anna, what did you do!

They start pushing her towards me and I start to panic. It’s not exactly sexy to have your sister and her husband-to-be do the talking for you.

‘Oh and Elsa,’ Anna says as she and my mother walk away, ‘she is so, so gay.’

‘Hey.’ And apparently she sounds sexy too and is even more attractive up close.

‘Hey.’

Now what? Do I deal with the elephant in the room or play it cool? Or just run away.

‘Sorry about this.’ Elephant it is. ‘My sister has taken it upon herself to find me someone since she can’t bear the idea of me being single at the grand old age of twenty-six.’

Maren laughed at that. I made her laugh! I immediately start wondering what else I can make her do.

‘Don’t worry about,’ Maren says. ‘I don’t know that many people here and now I know one more. Elsa? Right?’

‘Yeah, sorry, I should’ve said.’

‘It’s okay, they told me. And I assume they told you I’m Maren.’

‘They did. What else did they tell you about me?’

‘Well,’ Maren says with a smile, ‘Apparently, Anna had given Kristoff very clear instruction to quote her verbatim which is why I got to enjoy Kristoff saying things like ‘a sexy architect with legs for days’.’

‘Oh my god.’

‘What’s worse is that that’s apparently how your sister describes you to people.’

‘Yep, although it could’ve been worse. I once heard her tell a woman I could bend like a pretzel and she could be the chocolate covering.’

Another laugh. Wow.

‘Please tell me you’re joking.’

‘I’m not, but in Anna’s defence, this was after a few drinks.’

‘So how would you describe yourself, Elsa.’

There is something about the way she says my name. It makes me want to hear it over and over again.

‘I’d probably just stick with architect. What about you?’

So it turns out that Maren is actually really interesting. I’m not saying I don’t still think she’s drop dead gorgeous, but she has a lot of interesting things to say too. But if this turns into something, Anna will never let me hear the end of it.

Yet, I can’t tear myself away from her. We talk, dance, share a plate of finger food and generally have a great time. Most people have drunk enough by now so they are not really bothered about what we’re doing, but Maren hasn’t really been drinking and I have a strict rule of never getting drunk in front of my family, so our conversations can just keep flowing.

‘Do you want to go for a walk?’ Maren asks.

I do so we do. The party is at Anna and Kristoff’s house so we end up walking along the stables and fields where they keep the reindeer. Maren says a few things about some of the animals.

‘You know a lot about reindeer,’ I say.

‘Oh yeah, my family have kept reindeer for centuries. That’s the Northuldra way after all. We all met Kristoff when he came to work with us one summer and he and Ryder became best buds.’

‘But you didn’t want to go into the reindeer business?’

‘Nah,’ Maren says. ‘I’ve always wanted to do my own thing but also make a difference in people’s lives.’

‘Sounds noble.’

‘It isn’t really, I get a lot out of it myself.’

‘You’re not great at accepting compliments, did you know that?’

I must have paid her at least ten compliments by now but Maren has dismissed them all. 

‘I don’t like arrogance.’

‘I don’t either,’ I say, ‘but if that means you can never say anything positive about yourself, it can be very harmful.’

‘I suppose,’ Maren says with a small shrug.

‘Can you say one nice thing about yourself?’ 

I mean it to sound like a challenge and she challenges me right back, ‘I’ll do it, if you do it.’ 

‘Okay,’ I say, knowing I’ll nail this since it is something my therapist has made me do many times. ‘I am a good architect.’

‘That’s not very personal.’

‘You didn’t specify it had to be personal but okay. I would say I am a good listener and give pretty good advice,’ I say, but Maren still seems to think it’s not personal enough. ‘Fine, I’m proud that I have overcome my anxiety issues enough so that I can talk to a woman like you.’

I am instantly worried that I’ve gone too far and we’re quite a while away from the house so I can’t really see her face in the dark.

‘Wow, thank you,’ Maren says instead. 

Is she thanking me for the implied compliment or for sharing in general? Before I can ask, Maren speaks again.

‘I guess I am kind and forgiving. I’m also pretty smart and in tune with other people’s needs. Oh, and I am great at Uno. I can beat absolutely anyone.’

‘See that wasn’t so bad,’ I say, choosing to not challenge her Uno claim at this point but making a mental note to school her on this later.

‘Is there anything you’d want to change about yourself?’ Maren asks me.

‘Tricky,’ I say, because there are loads of things but I’m trying to accept who I am so instead I say, ‘I’d like to be more generous towards others.’

‘Like give to charity?’

‘No, I mean like when someone at work gets a calculation wrong, not assuming they’re trying to ruin my project but assume it’s an honest mistake instead.’

‘Don’t assume malice when incompetence will do.’

‘Exactly. What about you?’

‘That’s an easy one,’ Maren says, ‘except telling you would mean doing it.’

‘That’s quite a quandary.’

Maren turns to look at me then but I still can’t make out her face. In an attempt to combat this I decide to caress her cheek instead. I’m not sure what I was hoping to accomplish with this but I do now know her skin is very soft.

‘Allow myself to be more vulnerable,’ Maren says. ‘Like be honest with you and tell you that you using words like “quandary” is so bloody cute and that the way this night has gone, has exceeded my wildest expectations and that while I’ve been wanted to kiss you since the second I saw you, this desire has now morphed into something more intense and it scares me.’

Wow, I am blown away. This woman is something else entirely and I’ve never wanted anyone more in my entire life.

‘That’s a beautiful thing to want to change,’ I say, ‘because it encourages others to do the same. You see, Maren, when I first saw you I thought you were the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen and I wanted to get you naked and into my arms as soon as possible, but after the night we’ve had, well… I mean I still very much want those things, don’t get me wrong. But there is so much more I want to discover about you.’

She puts her arms around me then and holds me in a fierce embrace. When she lets go she asks me if I have a bed here. I do, thank heavens, and we make our way back to and through the house, past the remnants of a party and up to the top floor where Maren’s lips finally meet mine.

We tumble to the bed, shedding our clothes as we go. She is so much more beautiful than I had imagined and when I tell her she smiles shyly as she thanks me. 

Her lips trail a path along every inch of me until I am consumed by her. When she finally enters me I can’t tell where I end and she begins. We continue to explore each other until exhaustion pulls Maren into a deep sleep.

I can already see the sun start to rise outside the window when I turn to admire the woman in my arms. Yes, I decide, all of this is definitely worth having to endure Anna’s smug face in the morning.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes! I did it! It was fun to get involved a bit since I'm usually on the edge of a fandom looking in. I hope you enjoyed these stories!
> 
> p.s. if you're nervous about writing fanfiction, or any other fiction, yourself it can really help to have a strict deadline like I did. Eight stories in three days is madness, but it also meant I had no time to second guess myself. I fear that if I had had more time, I would have edited and edited until I was blue in the face and now I would just write and post and that made it a lot of fun!


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